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On Thursday morning, Washington Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman and pitcher Stephen Strasburg made a special visit to the young patients at Children’s National Medical Center in Northwest Washington, DC.

The appearance was a meaningful one for Zimmerman who, through the Nationals’ Community Relations department, makes an effort to visit children’s hospitals throughout the baseball season.

“These kids are going through a lot right now,” Zimmerman said. “So taking time out of my day to visit and hopefully cheer them up is really important to me.”

After meeting several children in the atrium, Zimmerman and Strasburg made room visits to kids in the Hematology and Oncology Ward, where they signed autographs, gave out Washington Nationals hats and spent a few minutes getting to know each patient they visited.

“It was a great experience going to the hospital and getting to say hello to a bunch of cool kids,” Strasburg said. “It was a very emotional experience. I was really taken aback, and it made me realize how much I’m blessed with and how fortunate I am to be in the position that I am in today.”

The visit was especially rewarding to Strasburg given the fact that his mother worked in a hospital throughout his childhood. Though it was his first hospital visit in Washington, the rookie pitcher made it clear that it won’t be his last.

“I loved hanging out with the kids and seeing them smile,” Strasburg said. “They didn’t really care much about baseball, but they knew that I play the game and that I play the game to have fun.”

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